Psalms — Chapter 96

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1Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth.

2Sing to the LORD, bless His name; proclaim His salvation day after day.

3Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples.

4For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods.

5For all the gods of the nations are idols, but it is the LORD who made the heavens.

6Splendor and majesty are before Him; strength and beauty fill His sanctuary.

7Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.

8Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name; bring an offering and enter His courts.

9Worship the LORD in the splendor of His holiness; tremble before Him, all the earth.

10Declare among the nations: “The LORD reigns!” The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved; He will judge the peoples with equity.

11Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice; let the sea resound, and all that fills it.

12Let the fields exult, and all that is in them. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy

13before the LORD, for He is coming—He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in His faithfulness.

1O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth.

2Sing unto the LORD, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day.

3Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people.

4For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods.

5For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.

6Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

7Give unto the LORD, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength.

8Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts.

9O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.

10Say among the heathen that the LORD reigneth: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously.

11Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof.

12Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice

13Before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.

1Oh sing unto Jehovah a new song: Sing unto Jehovah, all the earth.

2Sing unto Jehovah, bless his name; Show forth his salvation from day to day.

3Declare his glory among the nations, His marvellous works among all the peoples.

4For great is Jehovah, and greatly to be praised: He is to be feared above all gods.

5For all the gods of the peoples are idols; But Jehovah made the heavens.

6Honor and majesty are before him: Strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

7Ascribe unto Jehovah, ye kindreds of the peoples, Ascribe unto Jehovah glory and strength.

8Ascribe unto Jehovah the glory due unto his name: Bring an offering, and come into his courts.

9Oh worship Jehovah in holy array: Tremble before him, all the earth.

10Say among the nations, Jehovah reigneth: The world also is established that it cannot be moved: He will judge the peoples with equity.

11Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof;

12Let the field exult, and all that is therein; Then shall all the trees of the wood sing for joy

13Before Jehovah; for he cometh, For he cometh to judge the earth: He will judge the world with righteousness, And the peoples with his truth. Psalm 97

1Sing to the Lord a new song. Sing to the Lord, all the earth.

2Sing to the Lord. Praise his name. Announce every day how he delivers.

3Tell the nations about his splendor. Tell all the nations about his amazing deeds.

4For the Lord is great and certainly worthy of praise; he is more awesome than all gods.

5For all the gods of the nations are worthless, but the Lord made the sky.

6Majestic splendor emanates from him; his sanctuary is firmly established and beautiful.

7Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the nations, ascribe to the Lord splendor and strength.

8Ascribe to the Lord the splendor he deserves. Bring an offering and enter his courts.

9Worship the Lord in holy attire. Tremble before him, all the earth.

10Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns! The world is established; it cannot be moved. He judges the nations fairly.”

11Let the sky rejoice, and the earth be happy. Let the sea and everything in it shout.

12Let the fields and everything in them celebrate. Then let the trees of the forest shout with joy

13before the Lord, for he comes. For he comes to judge the earth. He judges the world fairly and the nations in accordance with his justice.

1Sing to Yahweh a new song! Sing to Yahweh, all the earth.

2Sing to Yahweh! Bless his name! Proclaim his salvation from day to day!

3Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples.

4For great is Yahweh, and greatly to be praised! He is to be feared above all gods.

5For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but Yahweh made the heavens.

6Honor and majesty are before him. Strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

7Ascribe to Yahweh, you families of nations, ascribe to Yahweh glory and strength.

8Ascribe to Yahweh the glory due to his name. Bring an offering, and come into his courts.

9Worship Yahweh in holy array. Tremble before him, all the earth.

10Say among the nations, “Yahweh reigns.” The world is also established. It can’t be moved. He will judge the peoples with equity.

11Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice. Let the sea roar, and its fullness!

12Let the field and all that is in it exult! Then all the trees of the woods shall sing for joy

13before Yahweh; for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, the peoples with his truth.

Summary
Authorship & Background
Commentary
Videos
Articles
Reflection

Summary

An enthronement hymn calling all the earth to sing a new song to the LORD and proclaim his salvation and glory among the nations (vv. 1-3). It contrasts the LORD's greatness with the worthlessness of the idols of the peoples, urging all families of the earth to ascribe him glory and strength and worship him in the splendor of his holiness (vv. 4-9). The nations are told that the LORD reigns and the world stands firm, and all creation — heavens, sea, fields, and forest — is summoned to rejoice before him, for he is coming to judge the earth with righteousness and truth (vv. 10-13).

Authorship & Background

Author: Multiple authors — primarily David (73 psalms attributed), plus Asaph (12), Sons of Korah (11), Solomon (2), Moses (1), Heman (1), Ethan (1), and anonymous. The Psalter was compiled over approximately 1000 years and served as Israel's hymnal and prayer book. The book is divided into five 'books' (1-41, 42-72, 73-89, 90-106, 107-150), paralleling the five books of Moses.
Classification: Enthronement / Hymn of Praise
Attributed Author: Anonymous (cf. 1 Chronicles 16:23-33 — Davidic)
Key Themes: A new song, declaring God's glory among the nations, the LORD above all gods, worship in holiness, creation rejoicing, God coming to judge the earth
Historical Context: This psalm appears (with variations) in 1 Chronicles 16:23-33 as part of the song David commissioned when the Ark was brought to Jerusalem. It is one of the "enthronement psalms" proclaiming God's kingship. The call to sing a "new song" indicates a fresh experience of God's saving power requiring fresh worship. The missionary scope is remarkable: "Declare his glory among the nations" (v.3), "all the earth" (v.1), "all peoples" (v.3). The psalm ends with the most comprehensive call to creation worship in Scripture — heavens, earth, sea, fields, and trees all rejoicing because God comes to judge.
O Sing unto the LORD a New Song (vv.1-3): O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth. Nearly this whole psalm stands in 1 Chronicles 16:23-33, sung when David brought up the ark, which is the ground of the Davidic attribution even though the psalm itself carries no superscription. The audience is the widest the psalter uses, all the earth, and the commission is to report abroad, declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people.
All the Gods of the Nations Are Idols (vv.4-6): For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods. Then the line that settles what above all gods meant, for all the gods of the nations are idols. The Hebrew turns on a likeness of sound between elohim and elilim, gods and nothings, which no English version reproduces. The proof offered is not argument but authorship, but the LORD made the heavens, and the section closes inside the building where that is confessed, strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
Worship the LORD in the Beauty of Holiness (vv.7-9): Give unto the LORD, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength. The imperative is repeated three times and it is addressed to families of nations, not to Israel, which means foreigners are told to bring an offering and come into his courts. O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. The phrase can be read as worship in holy attire or as worship in the splendor that holiness is, and the Hebrew allows both.
Say among the Heathen That the LORD Reigneth (v.10): Say among the heathen that the LORD reigneth: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously. One verse holding the whole message the singers are to carry, and it is the announcement of Psalm 93 turned into an errand. Stability and judgement arrive together, which is the psalm's reason for treating a coming assize as good news.
For He Cometh to Judge the Earth (vv.11-13): Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof. Sky, land, sea, field and forest are each given a part, and the sea that was chaos in Psalm 93 is here simply loud. Then the reason, said twice because the repetition is the joy, for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth. Judgement is what creation is glad about, and that is only coherent if the standard is the one named in the last line, he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.

Commentary

  • Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Verse-by-verse commentary on this chapter, written for the everyday reader and freely available online.
  • Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
  • Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.

Videos

Psalm 96 | Sing a New Song | Bible Study
Spoken Gospel

Psalm 96 - Declaring the Glory of God to the Entire World
David Guzik

Articles

  • GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of Psalms -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.

Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.

Reflection

  • Fresh Songs for a Faithful God (v.1) — The call is for a new song, not a recycled one, suggesting worship should keep pace with fresh experiences of God's goodness. Has your worship gone stale, or does it still reflect what God is currently doing in your life?
  • Declaring God's Glory Beyond Your Own Circle (v.3) — The psalm pushes worship outward, calling people to make God's glory known among the nations, not just privately enjoyed. Who in your life has never heard you talk about what God has done for you?
  • Everything Else Is Nothing by Comparison (v.5) — Every rival god is called worthless next to the Lord, who alone made the heavens. What competes for the worship that belongs to God in your life right now?
  • Worship That Trembles (v.9) — Worship here is pictured with holy reverence, not casual familiarity. Does your approach to God carry a sense of awe, or has it become too comfortable?
  • Creation Rejoices at God's Coming Judgment (v.13) — The psalm ends with the sea, fields, and trees celebrating because God is coming to judge the earth with justice. Do you view God's coming judgment as something to dread or as good news that sets things right?